John w



the gear 9 is such that the tooth or .abutmentV always comes'into the space 20 during both the closing and opening 'movements of the end. The gunner has the crank thus brought v into a more advantageous position than' where the crank was located at 'the upper end and can apply power thereto more eectively, especially in large guns.

By locating the crank at the lower end of the hinge-pin I am enabled to use any size of worm-wheel upon the hinge-pin and at the same time locate the compoundv gear at its proper position. Where the worm-wheel and crank are above the compound'gear. there is not enough clearance for the use of a wormwheel of suicient diameter to easily operate large guns. If the hinge-pin be lengthened at its upper end to provide for the use of a large worm-wheel, the hinge-pinis correspondin'gly weakened and there is danger of its bending, especially in large guns, where theweight carried by the hinge-pin is very large. v' Besides, thel gunner'cannot operate the crank to advantage in such position. I have also devised the breech mechanism so that the crank 21 will always stand in substantial line with the length of the gun or slightly below said 'line when the breech is open and when the breech is closed.

If the crank stood, for example, at substantially right angles to the gun when the breech is closed, the recoil of the gun would cause an inertial rotary movement of the crank and a tendency at times to blow out the plug. ',Ihis inertial movement is completely neutralized when the crank is in substantial line with the gun.l In like manner when the breech is open any undue movement of the breech mechanism due to the crank standing transversely of the gun. when it is being loaded is obviated.

In heavy ordnance the gun is elevated when being loaded and the breech correspondingly depressed. The tray when receiving the shell is swung away from the breech. In such position the heavy tray, due to the inclination of its hinge-pin, will closeagainst the breech unless locked in its open position. This closingl tendency is greatly augmented ,obviously, when the shell is placed upon the tray with its added weight. The weight and gravity of the operating-crank through the intervening mechanism, when standing substantially in. line with the gun, neutralizes the tendency of the tray to close or to start to closewhen the shell is placed thereon.

The bearing 6 at the lwer end of the carrier-plate 3 is formed as shown in enlarged Fig. 3.

21 is a bored chamber which receives the crank-shaft22. It is closed at its open end by a threaded bushing 23, forming a bearing for the crank-shaft.

`gear 9 and rack 12.

24 is the bearing at the inner endof the shaft. Bearing 6 is cut away at 25 to provide for the proper meshing of worm-7 with the worm-gear 8.

To provide for the easy operation of shaft 22, a thrust button-block 26, having a convex face, is seated in bearing 6 at the inner end of the shaft, the lattenbeing provided with a similar face bea-ring thereon.

27 is a collar on shaft 22, and 28 is a ball- Y bearing device interposed between the bush- .ing'23 and the collar 27. These constitute the endwise bearings of this shaft.

Fig. 8 shows a modified construction of the gear-teeth are,elongated and the intervening spaces correspondingly shortened. The rack 12 is cut,. as shown, to inter-mesh with these gear-teeth. Greater security against rupture of the gear-teeth during the engagement of the helical faces of these teeth results from this construction. r

The segmental rotating rack 11 upon the line of its length is lparallel with the threads upon'the plug, so that when the plug is j rotated in the breech the tendency of the teeth of the compound gear in the rotating rack to jam, due to the resulting slight linear movement of the plug, 'is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

.1. In a breech mechanism, a compound gear having an interrupted helical thread and an interrupted series of spur-teeth, and having one of the compound helical and spur teeth cut away.

2. In a breech mechanism, a gear provided lwith a series of compound helical and spur teeth having one of the compound helical and spur teeth cut away.

3,.- In a breech mechanism, a gear provided with a series of compound helical and spur teeth having one of the compound helical and spur teeth cut away, combined with a plug having a-rotating and a translating rack.

4. In a breechmechanism, a gear provided with a series of compound helical and spur teeth having one of the compound helical and spur teeth cut away, combined with a plug provided with a segmental rack having an elongated tooth adapted to enter said cutaway portion, and a longitudinal translatingrack.

5. The combination in a gun, of a breechplug, gearing for actuating said plug, and means for holding said plug in an open position, said means comprising the crank for said gearing when longitudinally disposed, as set forth.

6. The combination in a gun, a hinge-pin and crank-shaft mounted upon said gun, a gear fast upon tho upper end of the hinge-pin, a worm-wheel fast upon the lower end of the hinge-pin, a worm upon the crank-shaft engaging said worm-wheel, a tray mounted upon the hin ge-piu, andmeans for holding said tray The helical faces of the ICO IIO

pen position, said means comprising the crank for operating the gearing when longitndinaliy disposed, as set forth.

7. The combination hinge-pin upon the pin engaging the plug the hinge-pin, a crank and an intermediate collar and ball-bearing.

12. The combination of a gun, a plug having a longitudinal translating-rack and a segmental. rack parallel with the screw-threads of the plug, and a gear mounted upon the gun having a series of compound helical and spur teeth having an open space at a point Where one of said teeth would be formed, and

8. A breech-plug having a rotating rack means foroperating said gear.

and a translating-rack joining each other at an 13. In a breech mechanism, a compound angle, the outer end of the tooth of the latgear having an interrupted helical thread ter rack nearest the angle being cut away, forming a lateral series of Spur-teeth, having the said rotating rack being parallel to the one of the teeth of a lateral series cut away.

loeking-threads on the breech-plug.

fle. The combination in a gun, of a breech- 9. A breech-plug having a rotating rack plug, gearing for actuating said plug, and and a translating-rack joining each oth'er at means for holding said plug in an open and an angle, the cuter end of the tooth of the closed position, said means comprising the latter rack nearest the angle being cut away -crank for said gearing when longitudinally and the tooth at the angle of the racksbeing, disposed, as set forth.

enlarged or elongated, the said rotatingiack l5. ln a gun, the combination of a breechbeing parallel to the locking-threads on the plug having a rotating rack and a translatbreech-pl u g.

ing-rack joining each other at an angle; and

l0. A gear provided with a series of eoma hingepin having a pinion adapted to enpound helical and spur teeth having one of gage said racks, the outer end of the tooth of the compound helical and spur teeth cut the translating-rack nearest the angle being away, combined with a plug provided with acut concentric With the teeth of the pinion.

segmental rack having an elongated tooth In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature adapted to enter said cut-away portion, and in the presence of two Witnesses.

a longitudinal translating-rack and a tooth of the longitudinal rack nearestl its outer end cut away.

ll. In a breech mechanism, a gear provided JNO. W. SOCKET". Vitnesses:

JN0. J. OooK, EDWARD K. DE PUY. 

